Social Sciences Division

“Despite nearly four decades since the documentary [‘Streetwise’] first moved audiences with its portrayal of kids in crisis, the dismissive attitude of some to the film suggests why the crisis of homelessness has yet to be redressed, and why punitive responses only further contribute to the crisis itself,” writes Andrew Heddon, a doctoral student in history and associate director of the UW’s Harry Bridges Center for Labor Studies.

Mika Ahuvia, associate professor in the Jackson School, discusses her new book.

This week, watch a UW alum on NBC’s Making It, attend a discussion hosted by the Henry Art Gallery, and more.

Researchers warn that phony satellite imagery could become a common and dangerous mode of disinformation. Bo Zhao, assistant professor of geography at the UW, is quoted.

New updates to the Sephardic Studies Digital Collection, a "virtual bookshelf" with more than 140,000 pages of published Ladino works.

"Trees can cushion urban areas from heat waves … This also means that trees reduce energy costs for running fans and air conditioners, a crucial issue for poor households that tend to spend a higher share of their household budgets on energy," write the UW's Nives Dolšak, professor of marine and environmental affairs, and Aseem Prakash, professor of political science.

Jana Mohr Lone, Director of the UW Center for Philosopy for Children, discusses her new book.

“Falling fertility and rising longevity are neither accidents nor the inevitable result of personal choice. They are the signs of the multifactor, multiform advances that reflect the beneficial side of modernization. A good deal of this represents the investment wealthier countries have made in scientific knowledge, its applications to medicine and public health, and over time (and with delays), making this available to the rest of the world,” writes Scott Montgomery, lecturer of international studies at the UW.

Seattle City Councilmember Andrew Lewis and the coalition behind him believes he’s found the right formula to take on the city’s homeless crisis. That formula is the JustCare program, a collaboration between the city and a coalition of businesses, service providers and outreach teams that work together to get the unsheltered into housing while also keeping public spaces clear without the need to involve police. Katherine Beckett, professor of sociology at the UW, is referenced.

Mark Igra, graduate student in sociology, explains the results of his new study on digital fund-raising equality.

Mesopotamians turned a community tomb on the Euphrates into a battle monument. Stephanie Selover, adjunct assistant professor of anthropology at the UW, is quoted.

Online charity drives help some in need, but don’t expect them to fill the gaps in the social safety net. Mark Igra, a graduate student in sociology at the UW, and Nora Kenworthy, an associate professor of nursing and health studies at UW Bothell, are quoted.

This week, attend several museum exhibitions, the Indigenous walking tour, and more.

House Bill 1016 will make Juneteenth a legal Washington state holiday starting next year. This Saturday, June 19, will mark the first Juneteenth since Gov. Jay Inslee signed the bill into law. Work by Quintard Taylor, professor emeritus of history at the UW, is quoted.

This week, President Biden signed a law making Juneteenth a national holiday. But there are myths and omissions surrounding the telling of this day and that period in history, according to LaTaSha Levy, an assistant professor of American ethnic studies at the University of Washington, and it’s critical to understand the past and present need to fight for, and celebrate, Black freedom.